MAX HALL AT THE DOUBLE WITH SECOND SNETTERTON WIN

Max Hall made light of pulling six on the reverse grid with a second win of the Vertu Motors MINI CHALLENGE Trophy season in the final race at Snetterton.

In much the same way as Will Orton overcame the same draw to secure a double win in the JCW class at Brands Hatch a week earlier, Hall was able to work his way through the pack in fine style to become the first driver in the Coopers this season to secure multiple race wins.

Jack Byrne had started the race from pole position and held the lead into turn one, with the Irish driver retaining his advantage through the opening lap as his rivals battled behind – with Rhys Hurd initially holding second spot before being shuffled back down the order after Harry Hickton nipped ahead going through Hamilton.

Hickton made a bid for the lead heading into lap two as he took the outside line going into turn one, holding on alongside Byrne as the pair then went through the hairpin at Wilson to grab the inside line into Palmer – where he slipped through into the race lead, with Hall moving into the top four when he went around Hurd at the same corner.

However, by the end of the lap, Byrne had managed to get back into the lead as he slipped ahead through Coram, with Hickton demoted to third as Hall – who had eased ahead of Alex Solley – dived down the inside into the final corner to move into second spot.

That battle provided Byrne with the chance to break away at the front as the train of cars diced behind, with Hickton and Hurd both diving down the inside of Hall going into Wilson on lap three.

Hickton then ran wide on the exit of Agostini and found himself dropping back down to the lower reaches of the top ten to move Hurd up into second spot, but only until the Bombhole as Hall was able to get down the inside, with Hurd forced onto the outside line and also losing out to Solley going through Coram.

As Hall set off after the leader, Hurd took advantage of the lapped car of Reece Lycett ahead to launch a move on Solley going into the same corner a lap later. Yet again, the move wouldn’t last for long however, with Solley nipping back into third at Wilson and Nicky Taylor then grabbing fourth going into Agostini.

Hall grabbed the lead from Byrne with a dive down the inside at the final corner at the end of lap five, with Byrne then attempting to go back round the outside at Wilson only to lose out as it left him open to attack from the cars behind.

Solley got alongside on the run to Palmer and tried to go around the outside with the pair side-by-side running down to Agostini – where Hurd saw his chance to take both drivers in one move as he slid down the inside.

As Hall cleared off at the front, Byrne then reclaimed second again from Hurd going into Oggies and opened the door for Solley to follow through heading up to Williams where Hurd – now stuck on the outside – also slipped behind James Black.

Hall duly came through the final lap unscathed to take his second win of the day ahead of Byrne and Solley but the fight for fourth would continue, with Hurd tagging Black at Oggies to allow both Nicky Taylor and Hickton to move through.

Going into Nelson, Taylor and Hickton then ran wide, which enabled Black and Hurd to come back through to cross the line in fourth and fifth, with Nicky Taylor and Frankie Taylor following behind and Nathan Edwards rounding out the top eighth.

Hickton would find himself shuffled back to ninth after the final lap skirmish, with Lee Pearce rounding out the top ten for his sixth straight Directors Cup win.

Jamie Keates would fail to take the start after suffering a steering problem, with Lycett ultimately retiring after a clash that saw Alex Keens drop off the lead lap with an unscheduled pitstop.

Ben Jenkins and Andy Cobb clashed on the final lap and ended up in the barriers, with Gabe Fairbrother forced to pull off on the opening lap.